Like a drama production or school sports competition, science fairs can be stressful and competitive events; but with careful planning and creativity your students can stand out from their competition and make an impressionful presentation at this year’s fair.
Take these exciting 4th grade experiments as a way to spark STEM excitement! Instead of opting for cookie-cutter investigations with predictable outcomes, encourage students to design their own experiments with more and more independence and autonomy.
1. Casein Plastic
Turning milk into plastic is an incredible science experiment that will amaze kids while showing them that natural polymers can be just as useful as synthetic ones.
Milk contains a protein called casein, and when white vinegar is added it causes casein molecules to unfold into monomers and eventually link together to form polymers – much like what occurs when cheese is made.
Students participating in this chemistry science project will test various recipes using milk and lemon juice to produce casein plastic. Each batch will produce its own amount, which they’ll measure against total batch production.
2. Earthquake
Explore how earthquakes generate energy using a model seismograph – it’s an enjoyable and straightforward science project that allows you to see how earthquakes make buildings shake! This easy science project offers insight into earthquake physics as you observe this natural event!
Your students can discover the invisible world of magnetic forces with this simple yet engaging experiment. They’ll see objects attract or repel magnets and learn basic electricity concepts as they explore this intriguing phenomenon.
Unravel the mysteries of plate tectonics with this easy-to-assemble model of the San Andreas Fault. Your students will also gain insight into how various fault types cause tsunamis and other natural disasters.
3. Sharpie Markers
Permanent markers provide a fascinating scientific experiment. Students can experiment with solubility through use with water, vinegar and rubbing alcohol as solvents – hydrophobic ink can avoid being spread with these solvents while spread beautifully by others such as rubbing alcohol.
An enjoyable way to demonstrate Newton’s law of motion! Students will love designing and testing different marble patterns that use inertia to spin.
A classic earthquake seismometer model can be both fun and educational for 4th graders – providing them with an opportunity to discover their scientific interests!
4. Solar Oven
Solar ovens provide children with an engaging way to learn about energy, heat transfer and insulation – especially as this project allows students to cook real food!
This easy chemistry experiment will help students explore density and adhesion with an unexpected twist! They’ll be surprised to see what happens when adding sugar and salt!
Boyle’s Law, which describes the relationship between pressure and volume of gasses, can be difficult to explain with words alone; this visual aid provides a helpful explanation while simultaneously teaching us about chemical bonds as well as DNA’s double helix shape.
5. Neon Signs
Students become fascinated with neon signs due to their captivating glow, which piques their interest in both chemistry and electricity. Students conduct Internet research about the noble gases (neon, argon, krypton and xenon) responsible for giving neon its colors; using what they learn they create pieces of neon art using what they’ve discovered.
Slime is more than just a playful toy; it provides an invaluable hands-on introduction to polymers and non-Newtonian fluids. Fourth graders can explore chromatography by using coffee filters and water to separate secondary paint colors using coffee filters, thus showing how atom arrangements affect states of matter. Explore respiration through building an interactive lung model made out of plastic bottles, straws, balloons and sticky tape – something slime makes possible!
6. Convex Lens
Convex lenses are transparent materials designed to reorient light rays as they pass through them, altering their path in various ways. Their shapes include circles; when seen from the side they appear similar to two spheres overlapping each other.
When parallel rays of light enter a thin lens, they converge at a point on its principle axis (known as its focal point). Here the image becomes actual yet inverted according to distance from object and focal point of lens.
7. Clouds
Clouds are one of the most beautiful yet mysterious parts of nature, from giant puffs swooping toward the sun to wisps gliding past the moon. Not only are clouds an aesthetically pleasing form of nature’s creations but they serve numerous scientific functions from weather forecasting to supporting life on Earth.
Show how water vapor condenses into clouds with this simple science experiment that also covers temperature and humidity.
Have students predict which household items will sink or float before testing their assumptions with this simple activity that demonstrates diffusion.
Learn the secrets of DNA with this fun project that uses licorice sticks, four different-colored candies or fruits, and toothpicks to form an edible genetic code strand. It also serves as an excellent opportunity to demonstrate chemical bonds as well as helix formation of DNA molecules.